T R I C K o r T R E A T

              oh , how it would be so much easier just to feel nothing .    but lock , no , lock felt everything .    a concoction of 𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐬 chemicals—    vexation , misery , chaos .     he was suffocating under his own hand .     if only he could bring himself to just finish what he started !   bruise her , beat her , terrorise her into oblivion for a couple of hours & then forget anything ever happened in the first place .      she’d get over it .     she’d survive .       he had to make things complicated—     let his heart drive the boat .    pulled himself in TOO DEEP had he & to his ankles was an anchor that he , himself , tied .      ❛   that was the only way i could get you to listen to me .   it was the only way i could think to make you understand .   ’       he knows—   god ,  he knows that’s not true .     illogical , disrespectful , arrogant boy .

              again is she yelling , screaming—    voice echoing , echoing & he wants to make the whole word stop .       ❛    stop asking me questions you already know the answer to  !   ’     mumbles , mumbles .       ever so fatigued is he—   contusion kissed , scab scorn , wilting away like a dying flower !    but his love for her ?    𝐢𝐭 𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐝 .    had bloomed for years .    even now ,    having literally died at her hand countless times , having been tortured & terrorised , did he still adore her .     𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓 𝐈𝐍 𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐒 𝐀𝐒 𝐈𝐓 𝐇𝐀𝐃 𝐀𝐋𝐖𝐀𝐘𝐒 𝐁𝐄𝐄𝐍  .     foreheads remain pressed together , & moth like lids flutter closed .     tears—     still angry—   tumble  .   they don’t stop . they don’t stop . they don’t stop .    ❛   don’t make me say it .    don’t make me say it .   ’

              her next motion—            UNEXPECTED .     touch does their lips— chaste , ginger—   & he’s momentarily motionless .      throbbing is his heart— no ,   pulsate is his heart & it’s rapid !   quick fire !      ❛    i—-   ’     against her lips does he mumble again , but the passing thought that maybe not every awkward , tense moment had to be filled by EMPTY CONVERSATION .       not really given the time to process , digest & respond—   he doesn’t quite get the chance to kiss back , lean in , unravel .      instead , he stands—    numb .      ❛    i know , fuck me .   ’

                 “ lock, i need you to say it. if you can’t say it ... ” what ? what exactly would she do ? could she do ? she finds her heels digging into the floor, attempting to ground herself. she wants to do it again. and she hates herself for it. as eyes return to his lips, she can’t believe she’s still this stupid. she’s meant to be the smartest. this doesn’t fucking happen. the fact that he was able to control her so easily .. she’s finding herself to be a hypocrite. but is this actually that out of ordinary ? does she not always end up obeying lock, one way or another ? through gritted teeth and pain, she follows him. she’d follow him off a cliff. “ yeah .. fuck you. i don’t understand. i never understand what you could possibly be thinking. ” the thought of him knowing she cares has her stomach twisting, bile rising. fuck this. she wants to run. but she’s planted, firmly. only looks up to glance at the unlocked entry hatch, wondering how long barrel will be. if he’ll have to walk in on this. 

          miserable is he .      a deep , plunging holeof misery .    sinking , sinking & sinking still—   an ice bath in a frozen river of sorrow .      words are sharp , slice him open—  blood & guts seeping through 𝐠𝐚𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐬 & drips cold—   as his heartbreak pools like melted ice at his feet .     nothing new is this encounter , common occurrence .    buried him , drowned him , suffocated him had she—   probably 𝐚 𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬 before—   he could play her game for hours   .   .   .   but boogie’s beating had broken him , washed him out .  deem him defenceless .      features falter , brows draw tight as her words roll & mindlessly does his grip suddenly loosen .     ❛    you—-   ’        a rebuttal twirls on the tip of his tongue , but jaw locks tight—   & imprisoned does it remain .         ❛    i remember .    —   i should have stayed , huh ? you wanna put me back there ?   go on then , put me back there .    maybe i want you to kill me ,    maybe i wouldn’t mind .   ’     his 𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐭 at provocation , though in his words can you hear his broken heart throb .

          hands fall limp from around her neck & fall to her collarbones , resting there momentarily before returning to his sides .      across flesh so ghostly are various lines of scarlet—   victim of screws  &  splinters &  SHOCK’S WRATH .     ❛    i’m worthless , i’m pathetic , i’m boogie’s bitch .    —   you want me dead , you wish i never existed , you want halloween town all to yourself , huh ?    give me up to oogie , then , shock .    give me up & have oogie murder me with his own hands .       watch & laugh .     i’ll smile with you when he finally does it .    ’     she presses her face to his & hands reach to hold her neck again , albeit tenderly this time—-   liquid crimson staining her skin too—     ❛    just don’t cry when i’m gone .    just don’t pretend you don’t miss me .    just don’t come to the conclusion that the reality of living without me—   is hell  .     don’t act like you don’t care for me , shock .       because that will really , really disappoint me .   ’

                 never surprises, huh ? well ... this really is a shock. she expected him to choke her breathless, get it over with. wake up the next morning with nothing but a throat ache and bruised feelings that would eventually fade like they always do. “ as tempting as that is.. ” she looks at him, a mix of disbelief and hurt. hurt that she wishes she could mask right now. “ ... that’s not fair, ” tumbles from her lips, fingers curl to fists that raise in anticipation to beat on his chest, but she doesn’t. instead, they just sit there, land softly and rest. her eyes search his face. she wants to vomit all over him. 

                 “ how can you sit there and turn on a dime on me, sit there and threaten to give me up, to grab me like that, when all i was doing was trying to fucking help you ... and then pull this bullshit when -- when i react accordingly ? ” she’s so confused, so hopelessly lost. feelings conflict, anger still rises in her throat. he tricked her. this could be another trick. “ what the hell do you expect from me ? what do you want ? seriously ? what ? what the fuck do you want ? ” her voice rises, steaming fingers grip at his shirt and tug at it mindlessly, yet not too hard. “ whether or not i care for you makes no difference. you don’t care for me. you only care for yourself .. ” and she believes that wholeheartedly. it’s why she keeps her distance, why she does her best not to fall for his innocent acts and give in to his affections. why she treats him so coldly, shows no emotion, no detectable mercy. 

              air is forced from his lungs as sole meets gut & back does he fly !  at his flesh do rogue screws still tear & crimson spills heavy over the wooden interior .     catch him 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐟𝐢𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐩𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞 !     the tears that once brimmed now spill over—    𝔭𝔬𝔦𝔰𝔬𝔫𝔬𝔲𝔰 , salty water droplets that sting the apples of his cheeks !      under his breath does he utter ,      ❛    you stupid fucking bitch .  ’   before he launches himself up from his , almost foetal , position—    orbs grow wide with 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 at the abrupt dynamic transition—       her aversion perturbed him !    

            many - a - time had this spiel been spat—       𝔠𝔲𝔯𝔰𝔢 this & 𝔠𝔲𝔯𝔰𝔢 that—     & profanity , obscenity , vulgarity !      over her does he 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰 ,     ❛    will you shut your dirty mouth , you filthy little cunt .  i’m 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 .  your guidance doesn’t mean anything to me , i am the leader for a good fuckin’ reason—      i don’t need your assistance with a single thing , you stupid bitch !    ’       then does he lunge for her , arms outstretched , claws at the ready .    but before he’s able to reach her , before his retaliation can be pursued , a chair is snatched—     lifted above her head & pegged at his own !     she’s fast—-        𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐡𝐞'𝐬 𝐟𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 .     a single step & dodge does he !      blunt canines bare ,   a snarl emitting . legs & arms & more threats for splinters splay across the floor as the chair smashes into pieces—      ❛    FUCK YOU .   ’   not a moment is wasted before he moves to launch yet again & this time hands , cold in every aspect—    icy , callous , hateful—   move to enrapture her neck .      𝐀𝐒𝐏𝐇𝐘𝐗𝐈𝐀𝐓𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐁𝐈𝐓𝐂𝐇 .     

           she’s yelling , she’s screaming but the ringing in his ears completely drowns her .   he squeezes !    squeezes mercilessly !  ❛     should i choke you to death , huh ?    ’    in her hands does he hold her , his puppet , his pet—    & to her ribcage does he propel his knee !    once !   twice !   three times !     ❛    SHOULD I BREAK YOUR RIBS ?       then would you understand ?      i gotta beat some sense into you , do i  ?   ’    trivial this was not .  neither was his pride .   he took disrespect very hard .    especially from her .     ❛   don’t make me kill you again .   ’

                 " you're the leader because you're the easiest to control. " leader is said like a joke, one she laughs at, but is stopped by strong, cold fingers. never a surprise with him. she struggles, mainly to shout out, “ DON’T FUCKING TOUCH ME, ” but the shouts are cut short by gasps. helpless whines leave her throat and not by choice. if she could, she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction. however, the pain from her ribs leaves her silenced. only when he seems to have stopped for now does she look up at him, face scrunched with pure loathing, and she spits. hawks it up, gets the mucus right on his lips. “ you get off on it, don’t you ? you get a fucking boner from it. you’re just glad to have some kind of warmth at your hands, even if it’s from someone who fucking despises you. ” but she’s stopped the squirming, has easily given up, which doesn’t happen. it’s always a battle. she never gives him a win, neither does he her. but this time she’s just tired. 

              through thick & thin had they travelled—  together ,   hell & back—   & still they stood in 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐩𝐢𝐞𝐜𝐞 .    parts broken , parts permanently damaged , but altogether 𝐝𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐲 .    as tender as that moment was & as sensitive as he had become—      tenderness between targets is only temporary .     lock , the leader , the foreman made the orders ,       she would not take that from him ,   not for something as 𝐥𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐬 as this .     tone is moderately firm—   though ever so slightly does it waver .     uncertain , ungrounded , unstable was he .     a single crisp , cool hand ,  𝐊𝐈𝐒𝐒𝐄𝐃 𝐁𝐘 𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐒𝐓𝐁𝐈𝐓𝐄  ,  clasps her face—    cheeks are pinched & forcefully does he pull her close .    ❛   listen to me ,   ’    frustration bubbles beneath chalky , 𝔠𝔞𝔡𝔞𝔳𝔢𝔯 𝔩𝔦𝔨𝔢 skin—    & blood , in all his increasing vexation , runs frigid .

            ❛    i am not going to tell you this again .    we are not going to depose the bogeyman .   ’   through bared teeth does lock hiss & in his eyes you can still see the tears brimming , brewing .          𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐫𝐲 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬    .        ❛   if you bring this up one more time , shock , i swear 𝔬𝔫 𝔶𝔬𝔲𝔯 𝔤𝔯𝔞𝔳𝔢 i will tell oogie about all these sadistic thoughts you’ve been having & you’ll really take the fall for it then .   ’     tight is his hold on her face & it takes all his might not to spit in it .   furious , now , does he become .        ❛   tell barrel of these plans to disobey oogie & i’ll rip your tongue out .   ’

                  and there it is. foolish .. for a second, maybe he even catches a glimpse of all the hurt that bubbles inside her. it flashes in her eyes, in the look she gives him, in great contrast to the almost lovey doe-eyed stare that was in its place before. but as quickly as it were there, it’s then replaced with hatred. anger. “ you are so ... FUCKING STUPID, ” is roared, face is torn free so she can take her heeled foot and kick him in the stomach. scrambling to her feet, she’s quick to stomp that cup of potion she made him, too, shattering it and having the liquid ooze over the splintered, wooden floor to dry. smoke from her ears, she’s nowhere near finished. the witch makes for the bottle with the rest, grabs it and throws it in his direction, aimed for his head, but wildly. 

                 “ you’re nothing, lock. you’re fucking nothing without my guidance. and you can freeze past-death all by yourself for the rest of eternity because no one is going to ever give you any chances or help you ever again. not me, not jack, not even boogie. boogie’s gonna get real tired of you fucking things up very soon. and when he does ill be waiting, watching him lock you inside that ice box, and i’ll just laugh. ” a chair is thrown, this time, just as wildly. still, she’s holding back. she’s bloodied him before, bruised him all to hell, but right now she doesn’t want to touch him, not even in that way. “ the boogeyman is going to depose of you. he’s going to see just how dumb you really are and he’s going to take everything away from you. and im going to watch. ”

            ❛    𝔰𝔥𝔬𝔠𝔨 ,   ’   &  up he sits ,  propping himself up on his palms , blood drawing as loose bolts 𝐩𝐢𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐞 mercilessly , but —-     overcome by numbness he feels not a thing .    ❛   you’re greatest talent is filling me with false hope .  stop it .   ’    in are scab kissed knees pulled & slender arms fold around them , locking himself in tight .      but still are his bones cold .     cold & colder still .     as she plants herself beside him , he’s quick to take her hand in his—  & her hand is warm , so warm against his own— crisp & frosty .    

              a sigh of sheer 𝐝𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐚𝐭& instinctively do sharp optics roll .    ❛   of course i’m tired of it .   ’   he makes sure to lean in close , voice a  semi - tone  above a whisper ,   his breath is a coolbreeze that fans across her face—    ❛   what makes you think we’re strong enough to beat him ?     if that were true .   .   .   ’     pressing his forehead to hers , lids close as heart sinks . & skeletal fingers squeeze hers—     ❛    wouldn’t you think we’d have beaten him by now ?  𝐢𝐭'𝐬 𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 .      i know what i’m talking about .   ’   sigh .      fatigued .       ❛     stop trying .   ’

                 that instinct to pull back is there, threatening to ruin this moment and meet his affection with violence and insults. fear runs through her blood, tells her this is a trick ! a trap ! he’s going to draw her in and then she’ll be nothing but stupid for falling for it !! yet, she succumbs to the blizzard that is lock, eyes close as she leans into him, fingers lacing with his. it feels so, so weird .. and wrong, in a way. but not wrong in the way that makes you feel icky inside. the kind of wrong that she likes. still, she’s scared of this feeling. it’s a bittersweet kind of thing, but she fights to keep it going. 

            her words , solemn & kind—   unlike her , but he does not mind .    the reassurance very much needed for his ever bruised ego .     genuine was she & he had been aware for longer than she may have been keen or him to see .      𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐭 ,  the wisest  ,  𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔟𝔬𝔩𝔡𝔢𝔰𝔱  & did he admire her so .   implicitly , of course .    𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐛𝐲 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐞 .      her touch is tender–  ginger–     a  𝔣𝔬𝔯𝔢𝔦𝔤𝔫 𝔱𝔬𝔲𝔠𝔥  &  his response is instinctive–  as moth like lids flutter closed in content .   .   .     an affection , to his delight , had been much welcome .      much needed .              helpless , is he .            albeit all he longs for is to 𝔣𝔦𝔤𝔥𝔱 , to brawl !—     destroy balled white knuckles–  draw blood —    whether it be his own or   .    .    .  

           ❛     this is what happens when we 𝔡𝔦𝔰𝔬𝔟𝔢𝔶 him .   ’    he find himself saying–  words not his own , aware of the unwanted ears that listen , unwanted eyes that watch .     as the tears tumble , aggressively he swipes at them—-     & grateful is he that her back is turned .         shameful .  shameful .         ❛    we can’t win .   we’ll 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐢𝐧 .   ’      he’s clouded , misguided .    faith scarred akin to his pride .        ❛     this is bullshit .   ’

                 it goes without saying that today is, still, unlike any other day. so, keeping with themes of breaking norms, she shakes her head. “ we know everything about him. there’s three of us, one of him. if we were sneaky, clever ... if we really tried ... ” that’s something they've really never done. tried. they’ve been too scared. they’re still too scared. “ it is bullshit. i wish ... i wish i were the leader, and not for myself. i wish i were the leader, because then i would be the one--” she stops, grips the edge of the bowl and inhales slowly. feels her own eyes welling up. instead of finishing her sentence, shock finishes the potion and pours it for him in a cup, puts the rest away into a different bottle for later. 

           empty are his eyes , void of all emotion , void of all fight . fatigued is he , too . 𝐚𝐛𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐝𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 .    catch him curled in a corner – victim to splinters & blunt jabs from rogue screws in the hardwood floor of their treehouse  .   .   .   but , again , empty is he —-& compared to the contusions & pocks that peppered icy , pale flesh , the jabs were 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 .      ❛    ʰᵐᵐ   ?   ’    comes his response , barely audible .     

           in his mind–  scenarios of 𝔬𝔟𝔩𝔦𝔱𝔢𝔯𝔞𝔱𝔦𝔫𝔤 oogie boogie were prevalent–  scenes of 𝔯𝔦𝔭𝔭𝔦𝔫𝔤 𝔥𝔦𝔪 𝔱𝔬 𝔰𝔥𝔯𝔢𝔡𝔰 !       snake & spider stew ?    made of oogie’s insides , too ?    was a concept he could get behind .        in desolation orbs avert , 𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐝 - 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐭 & brimming with  𝔞𝔫𝔤𝔯𝔶 𝔱𝔢𝔞𝔯𝔰 .     self - deprecating is lock ,    in a rut   ,  unable to pull himself out .     the atmosphere & dynamic allowed for such silence , such 𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐲 & in his apathy he stayed .    ❛    ᵒᵏᵃʸ .   ’      tiny is his voice , vulnerable .     again , the atmosphere & dynamic allowed for it , such sensitivity .      ❛    ᵗʰᵃⁿᵏ ʸᵒᵘ  .   ’

                 she knows what he’s thinking. they’ve been side-by-side for long enough. those tears say enough. “ .. we’ll get him one day,” she says, softly. risks it. risks even the quietest of oogie threat to their oh so devoted leader. any other day if someone said something like that, vague as it is, all three of them would jump in, ready to fight for the sacked fiend. today, however ... today.. maybe she’ll get away with it. 

                 he thinks he’s alone. he thinks no one is around, no one is watching. and that’s exactly why she creeps up behind him and grabs him, whips him around to face her. “ if boogie finds out about this you’re dead meat, you know that, right ? ” of course he does. they’ve all had a taste of oogie’s wrath. “ .. so, what are you going to do for me so that i don’t go tell him and get a special treat for it ? ” would she actually tattle on him ? she’s done it before, but for much smaller things. things that would get you a flick on the nose, not a broken bone. 

                 it’s oddly quiet with the boys today. a rest day she thinks. one where everyone’s a bit too tired to cause too much mayhem. usually takes place a day after they’ve screwed up. oogie placed his punishment, and they’d scrambled all of yesterday trying to think up a plan to make it up to him. they may set it in motion later today or even tomorrow, but in the moment things are calmer. calm, but with that underlying fear pricking at their insides. 

                 “ ... if it still hurts, i have a potion i could make ? ” a rare moment, shock asking someone if they need help. but she turns to look at him, he who got the worst of it, and doesn’t glare or tack an insult on the end. she just looks at him, almost tenderly, if that were possible for her.